Miles’ Marvellous Sushi

Can you believe it has been a year since we were in China!! That has gone scarily quickly!

One of my favourite things to eat for breakfast in China was Chicken Sushi… but not just any sushi… it had to be the stuff from a little rice ball shop on the University of Nottingham China Campus because their sushi was just to die for.

It’s different from traditional sushi, its a little bit naughty… well, naughty for sushi anyway! This particular sushi has little crunchy bites of heaven (or crispy batter bits to everyone else) and a squirt of Japanese mayo over the top. OK… its not thaaaat naughty however I can assure you it is divine.

It quickly became one of my morning staples while we where out there, I’d go as far to say it even cured a hangover one morning! (Chinese wine is hideous).

I knew I had to be able to have this sushi when we returned back home but the language barrier prevented us from asking the lovely lady who made it for us every morning, what exactly she put in it.

I’d notice Miles studying the lady, once we had ordered each day. He would watch intently, to see how she made this perfect sushi which made our tummies so happy!

A couple of Friday’s after we returned from China, after work I came home to the smell of food wafting through the air, he was making my favourite sushi… and he only nailed it!

Of course he has made a big error on his part because now I have the poor man whipping up said sushi whenever I can now!

Anyway… I asked him very nicely to tell me how he does it so I can share the recipe with you lot!

You will need:

3 Seaweed wraps (Nori)

2 cups of sticky rice (prepared)

2 chicken breasts (sliced into strips)

2 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce (make sure its GF)

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

1 cup gram flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Some water

A courgette (sliced into nice long strips)

Vegetable oil

Sushi rolling mat

Cling film

For the dipping sauce:

1/4 cup Mayo (any mayo will do but if you can get it Kewpie mayo is AMAZING)

1 tablespoon of gluten free soy sauce

Method:

1.Firstly take the chicken breast and pop in a bowl, add to the bowl the teriyaki sauce and the soy sauce and put in the fridge to marinade for at least half an hour. (a few hours is better however).

2.When your chicken is marinaded, stir fry in a little vegetable oil to cook through add the courgette and fry together for a few minutes, when it is cooked, set aside for later.

3. Next you will need to make your crispy batter bit (mmmmm), heat up some vegetable oil (about an inch deep) in a saucepan or a wok. Meanwhile you need to make up a batter with the baking powder, the gram flour and the water. Keep adding water until you have batter that is the consistency of tempura, and you’re good to go!

4.When the oil is nice and hot, using a wooden spoon drop drips of the batter into the oil and fry until they are golden, it doesn’t matter what shape they are as long as they come out nice and crispy. Drain on some kitchen roll and leave to one side.

5.Now you have prepared all the elements to the sushi, it is time to assemble.So, lay a sushi rolling mat and cling film out as demonstrated in the picture below.

6.Now, using a rice spatula or a spoon, put some of the sticky rice onto the cling film and spread it out, keep going until you have a fairly thin layer of rice the size of your seaweed wrap.

7.Place the seaweed wrap on top of the sticky rice and then flip over so the cling film is facing upwards and the seaweed wrap is now touching the sushi rolling mat. Peel off the cling film.

8.Now add your crispy bits- crumble them into smaller chunks and sprinkle them all over the rice, now add the chicken and courgette mix – this needs to be kept in a line parallel to the edge you are going to roll the sushi (I use the long edge so we get more slices, but Miles likes to use the short edge so we get more rolls) so it makes a nice pattern in the middle of the ring.

9.To roll! Take the edge of the seaweed wrap you have chosen to roll with and roll it in towards the rice, keep rolling until the sushi wrap is in a lovely neat little roll, sort of like a seaweed Swiss roll! Use the sushi mat but wrapping it around the sushi roll and pressing firmly while rolling the whole thing so that it sticks a bit better.

10.Now, slice the sushi roll into 1″ slices and serve with the dipping sauce*